RU2200095C1 - Vehicle driver telemetric vigilance system - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: automatic control of condition of vehicle drives. SUBSTANCE: proposed system contains electrodes with fasteners connected to input device connected with receiver, signal processing and control unit and indicator unit. Electrodes and input device are made in form of common unit of telemeter transducer which can be secured on wrist or flinger of driver. Telemeter transducer and receiver unit are communicated by radio channel. Input device contains series-connected logarithmic converter, analog-to-digital converter, coded message shaper and transmitter. Signal receiver unit is two-channel, each channel being formed by series connected receiving antenna, high frequency amplifier, detector and correlator. EFFECT: provision of stable telemetering and wakefulness of drive when driving the vehicle without creating additional inconveniences. 2 cl, 2 dwg

Description

 The invention relates to a diagnostic tool for the psychophysiological state of a person in the process of professional activity and can be used in automatic control systems of the state of drivers of vehicles.

 It is known that transport safety is primarily determined by the psychophysiological state of the driver. Being in the stage of fatigue, under the influence of stressful situations or in a state of alcoholic (narcotic) exposure, the driver loses an objective picture of the road situation, being a source of road traffic accidents.

 A large number of inventions are described relating to counteracting getting behind the wheel of a vehicle both an initially inoperable driver and a driver who loses working capacity while driving. So, it is known the use of gas analyzers to determine the alcohol vapor during the breathing of the driver, preventing the engine from starting (EP 1024746 Al, Smart Start Inc., A 61 B 5/097, ... B 60 K 28/06, 09/09/2000) [1 ], the use of driver speech recognition systems (RU 2148505, ZAO NEUROKOM, B 60 K 28/06, 05/10/2000) [2] for the same purposes. Systems are also known that use as a performance criterion a time analysis of the degree of compression of the steering wheel by the driver (WO 00/55000 A1, Fahrertraining ..., B 60 K 28/06, 09/21/2000) [3], in the extreme case of diagnosing the death of the driver (WO 00/18012, Gustav Magenwirth, H 03 K 17/975, B 60 K 28/04, 03/30/2000) [4].

 The process of transition to a drowsy state during movement is proposed to be fixed by the frequency of movement of the eyelid (US 5469143, Cooper, G 08 B 21/00, 340/575, 11/21/1995; WO 00/24309 A1, Renault, A 61 B 3/113 04.05.2000) [5]. Another direction of monitoring the driver’s condition during movement is to fix its physiological parameters - electroencephalograms, electromyograms and electrooculograms, as well as their joint analysis (WO 00/44580 Al, Compumedics Sleep. PTY. Ltd, B 60 K 28/02, / 06, 08/03/2000) [6]. Functional state monitoring can be effectively used to maintain performance, for example, in monotony conditions, when the operator loses his vigilance (see RU 2111134 C1, NEUROKOM, 60 K 28/06, 1998) [7].

 One of the most informative criteria for a transition to a driver’s loss of working capacity is a change in the skin-galvanic reaction (RU 2107460 C1, NEUROKOM, A 61 V 5/05, 5/103, 5/18, 03/27/1998; US 6167299, Galchenkov et al. , NEUROCOM, 600/547, 12/26/2000 - Patents-analogues) [8]. A device for implementing the method comprises electrodes with their mounting means connected to an input device, means for suppressing impulse noise, means for isolating a signal in the phase band of the electrodermal activity, means for detecting pulses of the phase component, a registration unit. Means for isolating the signal in the phase component band, means for suppressing impulse noise, and means for detecting pulses of the phase component are made in the form of a low-pass filter, a unit for converting the input signal to the first and second time derivatives, and a pulse shape analysis unit, connected in series to This input of the latter is connected to the input of the registration unit.

 The known device [8] does not affect the technical aspects of the implementation of the device in transport, ensuring stable telemetry and maintaining wakefulness without creating additional inconvenience to the driver, which is the object of the patented invention.

 The technical result - the provision of stable telemetry and maintaining the wake of the driver on the flight without creating additional inconvenience, is achieved by the fact that the telemetry system for monitoring the wakefulness of the driver of the vehicle contains electrodes with their fasteners connected to an input device connected to the reception, signal processing and control units, indication unit. The electrodes and the input device are made in the form of a single telemetric sensor unit with the possibility of placement and mounting on the wrist or on the finger of the driver. The reception, signal processing and control units and the display unit are located in a single unit of the stationary part, and the telemetry sensor and the reception unit are connected via radio channel. The input device contains a logarithmic converter, an analog-to-digital converter, a code parcel driver, and a transmitter having a transmit antenna that is the output of the telemetry sensor in series. The signal receiving unit is made two-channel, with each of the channels formed by a series-connected receiving antenna, high-frequency amplifier, detector, correlator. The outputs of the correlators are connected to an information pre-processing unit, connected via an interface to a signal processing unit, and the receiving antennas are mutually orthogonal polarized. The signal processing and control unit is connected to the vehicle input signal unit, the interface unit with the vehicle's on-board computer, the control action generation unit and the interface for communication with the display unit, while the input signal unit is connected to the wake confirmation button and has a group of inputs for connecting to relevant electrical circuits of the vehicle.

 The display unit includes a display control unit, to the outputs of which an audible alarm unit and an alert level indicator are connected.

 The system can be characterized by the fact that the telemetry sensor unit is made in the form of a bracelet, watch or ring.

 The system can also be characterized by the fact that the stationary part unit has a front panel on which there is a radio signal reception indicator from the telemetry sensor unit, an awake level indicator, an awake confirmation button, and a power switch for the device.

The invention is illustrated in the drawings, where:
figure 1 shows a block diagram of a patented driver wakefulness control system;
figure 2 presents the algorithm of the system.

 The system comprises (see FIG. 1) a telemetry sensor 10, a telemetry sensor signal receiver 20, a controller 30, and an indication device 40. The telemetry sensor 10 is designed to obtain information about the relative change in the skin resistance of the driver, converting this information into code packages and transmitting them over the radio channel of the gigahertz frequency range to the signal processing subsystem of the telemetry sensor. The telemetry sensor 10 is located on the wrist or on the finger of the driver and can be made in the form of a bracelet, watch or ring.

 The telemetry sensor 10 has electrodes 102, 104 having electrical contact with the driver’s skin and connected to the input of the logarithmic transducer 106. The output of the transducer 106 is connected to an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 108, the output of which is connected to the input of the code packet generator 110, the output of which connected to the transmitter 112 connected to the transmitting antenna 114. The sensor 10 is powered by a built-in replaceable autonomous element.

 The signal receiver 20 of the telemetric sensor 10 is designed to receive high-frequency signals through two independent channels with mutually orthogonal polarization, for which two receiving antennas 202 and 204 are used. Antennas 202, 204 are connected to two channels of the high-frequency amplifier 206, 208, the outputs of which are through detectors 210, 212 are connected to the inputs of the channel correlators 214, 216. From the output of the correlators 214, 216, digital values of the correlation function of the input signal are fed to the input of the telemetry sensor information preprocessing unit 218. The output of said block 218 is connected to an interface 220 for communication with a controller 30.

 For this purpose, the controller 30 has an interface 302 connected to the control and digital signal processing unit 304. Block 304 is connected to a control action generating unit 306 having a series of respective output terminals 308 for connection to various vehicle systems. To one of the inputs of block 304, a block of input signals from a vehicle 310 is connected, having a group of inputs 312 for connecting to the corresponding electrical circuits of the vehicle, for example, braking, turn indicators, and others. A block wake confirmation button 314 is also connected to block 310. To connect the unit 304 to the on-board computer of the vehicle, an interface unit 316 is introduced, the input of which is connected to the unit 304, and the output has a corresponding connector 318. In addition, the unit 304 is connected to the interface 320 for communication with the display device 40.

 The display device 40 is connected to the interface 320 via an interface 402 connected to the display control unit 404 having corresponding outputs. These outputs are connected to the block 406 audible alarm and the indicator 408 level of wakefulness, showing the level of wakefulness of the driver on a conventional scale.

 Interfaces 220, 302, 320 and 402 can be organized according to the RS-232C standard or another used on a vehicle.

 The device operates as follows.

 The current through the skin of the hand, indicated in FIG. 1 as the resistance G connected to the electrodes 102, 104, is converted by a logarithmic converter 106 into voltage and is fed to the input of the ADC 108, which measures the current value of the resistance. The signal from the output of the ADC 108 is supplied to the shaper 110 of the code parcels, which controls the modulation of the transmitter 112 of the radio channel. Information on connecting electrodes 102, 104 to the driver’s body, battery voltage, and the onset of test mode is also transmitted in the code packages.

The receiver 20 of the signals of the telemetric sensor 10 is designed to receive signals of the telemetric sensor via the radio channel, its preliminary processing and issuance upon request of the controller 30 of the system. In addition, the receiver 20 detects the presence of a second working telemetry sensor in the system coverage area and informs the system controller 30 about this. Such information is necessary in the case of the presence of a shift driver in the vehicle cabin, also having a similar individual telemetry sensor
The receiver 20 of the signals of the telemetry sensor receives high-frequency pulse-modulated signals through two independent channels with mutually orthogonal polarization of the receiving antennas 202, 204. After amplification (blocks pos. 206, 208), detection (pos. 210, 212) and normalization by input amplitude the signal for each channel goes to the inputs of the channel correlators 214, 216. From the output of the said correlators, the digital values of the correlation function of the input signal are fed to the input of the telemetry information preprocessing unit 218 atchka. The channel for processing the current package of the telemetry sensor is selected by the maximum value of the correlation function on the interval of the start bit of the package.

 At the request of controller 30, an information code along with signs of testing and error is supplied to the output of the device. The control and digital processing unit 304 analyzes the signals received from the receiver 20 corresponding to the measured value of the skin resistance. Based on this analysis, taking into account the well-known criteria of wakefulness according to the skin-galvanic reaction [8], block 304 determines the level of wakefulness of the driver.

In addition, the control and digital processing unit 304 analyzes the error signals received from the receiver 20. These errors include:
a) the lack of contact of the electrodes 102, 104 with the skin of the driver,
b) the closure of the electrodes 102, 104 to each other,
c) the absence of a radio signal from the sensor 10,
g) the presence of the second enabled sensor 10,
d) malfunctioning of the receiver 20.

 The operation algorithm of block 304 provides, in the presence of the mentioned errors, the supply of a certain signal to block 404 indication control, which puts the indicator in a special mode of operation (for example, blinking), or gives an audio signal through block 406.

 In accordance with the level of wakefulness, an indicator status code 408 is received at the input of the display device 40 through the interface 320. The display control unit 404 includes the required number of indicator elements (for example, LEDs) and, upon a critical decrease in the level of wakefulness, sends a signal to the audible alarm unit 406. The audible alarm requires the driver to press the wake confirmation button 314. If the driver pressed the button 314 or the block 310 of the input signals from the vehicle registered a signal at any of the inputs 312, the entire system continues to work as before. In the event that from the output of block 310 to block 304 there is no signal confirming wakefulness, block 304 provides signals to block 306 of the formation of control actions, the output terminals 308 of which are connected to the functional systems of the vehicle. When using the telemetry system in road transport and river vessels, these are light and sound alarm systems, fuel injection control, and air suspension control. In rail transport, the control action is applied to the emergency braking system.

 If the vehicle has an on-board CAN CAN network, the patented telemetry system can be connected to the on-board computer of the vehicle via the interface unit 316 via the connector 318, also made in the CAN BUS standard. In this case, information about the current level of wakefulness of the driver, the inclusion of an audible alarm, the activation of the wake-up confirmation button 314 by the driver, information about the issuance of signals to control actions generation unit 306 can be transmitted to the vehicle’s on-board network. In addition, information about the state of the wakefulness control system itself can also be sent to the on-board network (for example, about the occurrence of malfunctions, loss of contact of the telemetry sensor with the skin of the driver’s hand, discharge of the sensor’s battery, and other unregulated situations in the system’s operation).

 The operation of the entire system, with the exception of the telemetry sensor, is provided by a secondary power source. It converts the constant voltage of the vehicle electrical system into several constant stabilized output voltages (not shown in FIG. 1).

 The algorithm of the system is shown in figure 2. When the power is turned on (p. 60), a self-test of the stationary part of the system (p. 61) takes place, during which the correct functioning of its units is checked. If errors are detected, a message is displayed (p. 73), after which the driver makes a decision (p. 74) regarding further use of the system: continue the system (p. 61) or disable it (p. 75).

 If the self-test was successful, a check is made for the presence of a signal from sensor 10 (p. 62). In the event that there is no signal, the system returns to the self-test cycle (p. 61). If there is a signal, the reception indicator turns on (p. 63) and the received data is analyzed (p. 64). In case of detection of errors (p. 65), a message about which was transmitted by the sensor 10 or receiver 20 (see above in the list of errors except for p. "C"), a message is issued (p. 73). After that, the driver makes a decision (p. 74) regarding further use of the system: eliminate the cause of the error and continue the system (p. 61) or disable the system (p. 75).

 If there are no errors, the level of wakefulness is determined (p. 66) and its indication (p. 67). Next, a check is made of the level of wakefulness (paragraph 68) according to well-known criteria [8]. If the level of wakefulness is higher than critical, the system returns to step 62 in a cycle. If the level of wakefulness is below the critical level, a sound signal “Confirm wakefulness” is issued (p. 69). The driver’s response is checked (item 70): is button 314 pressed for a specified time?

 If the button is pressed, the system returns to step (p. 62). At the same time, the presence of signals from vehicle controls (paragraph 71) from a group of inputs 312, for example, indicators of braking, turning, and others, is checked. If at least one of these signals is present, the system returns to step 62. In the absence of such signals, a control action is applied to the outputs 308 and the corresponding error message (p. 73). After that, the driver makes a decision (p. 74) regarding further use of the system: continue the system, eliminating the cause of the error (p. 61), or disable the system (p. 75).

 Numerous tests of the system were carried out on railway, passenger and freight vehicles, as well as on river vessels. Tests have shown the adequate operation of the system, timely detection of fatigue and reduced working capacity of the driver, narrowing of the functions of external attention. There was not a single case of falling asleep on the driver's flight.

Claims (2)

 1. A telemetry system for monitoring the wakefulness of a vehicle driver, comprising electrodes with their mounting means connected to an input device connected to reception, signal processing and control units and an indication unit, characterized in that the electrodes and the input device are made as a single telemetry sensor unit with the possibility of placement and fastening on the wrist or on the finger of the driver, the reception, signal processing and control units and the indication unit are placed in a single unit of the stationary part, wherein the telemetry sensor and the reception unit are connected by radio, the input device contains a logarithmic converter, an analog-to-digital converter, a code transmitter and a transmitter having a transmitting antenna, which is the output of the telemetry sensor, the signal reception unit is made two-channel, each from channels is formed by series-connected receiving antenna, high-frequency amplifier, detector, correlator, correl outputs the heatsinks are connected to an information preprocessing unit connected via an interface to a signal processing and control unit, the receiving antennas being mutually orthogonal polarized, the signal processing and control unit connected to a vehicle input signal unit, a unit for interfacing with a vehicle's on-board computer, and a control action generating unit and an interface for communication with the display unit, while the input signal unit is connected to the wake confirmation button and has a group of inputs for connecting to the corresponding electrical circuits of the vehicle, the display unit includes an indication control unit, to the outputs of which an audible alarm unit and a wake level indicator are connected.  2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the telemetry sensor unit is made in the form of a bracelet, watch or ring.

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